How to Choose a Coach for Yourself

A primer on choosing a coach that you
C-L-I-C-K with

Congratulations! You've decided you're ready to get yourself a coach!
Or would you rather say that you've decided you're almost ready to get
yourself a coach?! Either way, you're probably
wondering how to choose a Coach best suited to you and your life. Fortunately, that's what this
page is about.

How to Choose a Coach - Step OneGet clear
about your 'What' and 'How'

First there's the 'what'. Maybe you want help in finding a new
job, or getting better organized, or getting an important project underway or
making an important decision, or simply learning how to enjoy life more, or any
of a number of other things. The point is that the clearer you are on 'what' you
want to achieve, the easier it will be for you to tell that to your life coach.

Then there's the 'how'. As with the 'what', the more clearly you
understand 'how' you want to achieve your 'what' the more effective the life coaching process can be:

Do you want to boldly go where no one has gone before, follow a
proven path, or something in between?

Do you want your life coach track assignments and
deliverables from you, help you brainstorm and clarify new ideas, or something
in between?

Do you want your life coach to be more like a drill-sergeant or
a cheer-leader?

'How' you want your life coach to support you is key. But if
you're not sure, ask the life coaches you talk with for help in clarifying it
for you. The benefits of this are twofold: (1) you come to clarity on the
matter; and (2) you experience first-hand how the coach coaches.

How to Choose a Coach - Step TwoScreen Potential
Coaches based on their ...

Relevant Coaching Experience ... or lack thereof - To be effective at life
coaching, it is not necessary for the life coach to have experienced exactly
what you're trying to accomplish. But it helps. So, look for a coach with
relevant coaching experiences to what you're hoping to achieve.

Relevant Pre-Coaching Background ... or lack thereof - What did the life
coach do before becoming a coach? It may not matter, but then again, it just
might. Find out and see if it's relevant to what you want to work on.

Coaching Credentials ... or lack thereof - Look at this from a few
perspectives. Life coach training is key because life coaching isn't something
that just anyone can do well. Also look for more than just basic training; look
for advance training and certification from an accredited coaching organization
such as the International Coach Federation.

Commitment to Coaching ... or lack thereof - Look for a full-time coach.
Don’t be fooled by trainers, speakers, and consultants, who only “coach” when
their other work dries up. It's not that these aren't good people, it's just
that it typically takes several hundred hours of practice to hone one’s skills
as a professional coach.

How to Choose a Coach - Step ThreeAsk for an
Interview or Free Sample Session

Most coaches offer free, no-strings-attached sample coaching
sessions. Take them up on the offer. To make the most of these calls, have
something 'specific' to discuss - the more specific the better - and actively engage
in the coaching process to see what it's like, how it works, and what it changes.

This is actually one of the best parts of choosing a coach.
Where else can you try-before-you-buy like this? Can you go to a restaurant and
sample the fare without paying? Can you 'borrow' some new clothes from a
department store an walk out without paying for them? Will a taxicab driver take
you somewhere for free so you can test out his traffic-handling skills? No. No.
No. But with coaching, sample sessions are a big yes, Yes, YES! So do a number
of them before selecting who you want to work with on an ongoing basis.

Although the coaching
relationship is a partnership between you and your life coach,
it remains
YOUR responsibility to monitor and discuss how well
the partnership is
working for YOU.

How to Choose a Coach - Step FourAssess
the 'C-L-I-C-K' between your and your Potential Coach

So how do you choose which life coach to choose? Try using the 'click' acronym:

C stands for Contribution - How much did the life coach contribute to you
meaningfully addressing the issue you brought to the call? What Next Steps do
you see now that you didn't before?

L stands for Listening - Who did more of the talking, you (which is good)
or the life coach (which is not as good). How well do you feel the coach
understood who you really are? How well did the life coach's words
resonate with you? What did you hear in your own words that was new? How helpful
was the conversation?

I stands for Intensity - What kind of energy was there on the call and
how motivated were you by the life coach's style and approach? How engaged were
you able to become in the call? What new thoughts, feelings, and insights
surfaced for you that can speak to the value of the sample session?

C stands for Connection - How aligned did you feel with the life coach?
How did you like the tone and mood of the call? How was the rapport? Did the
coach “get” where you were coming from? Coaching conversations have an
electricity about them, but the switch doesn’t always get turned on. Was there an instant kind of rapport? Imagine what an ongoing life coaching
relationship would be like with this life coach - how does that feel?

K stands for "Kreativity!" - How good a job did the life coach do in
getting you to see old things in new ways, or get out of you own way, or get
back on track, or whatever? How motivated are you to WANT to work with this life
coach on an ONGOING basis? How confident are you that this particular life coach
can help you achieve your 'what' and 'how'?

Now, take out a piece of paper and rate each coach's 'click-factor' (4 points = great; 1 point= lousy).

ASSESSING THE 'C-L-I-C-K'a sample evaluation form

Coaches

Name:

Barry Zweibel

Somebody Else*

Company:

GottaGettaCoach!

So-So Life Coaching*

C

Contribution

4

2

L

Listening

4

1

I

Intensity

4

3

C

Connection

4

2

K

"Kreativity!"

4

2

Total

20**

10

* A
fictitious name and company, but you knew that, didn't you?!
** Hey, it's my website so why shouldn't I come out on top?!

Tally the scores, see if they match your 'gut' feel and if so, you're decision
is made!

How to Choose a Coach - Step FiveDollars and
'Sense'

If it's not already apparent, all coaches are NOT created
equal. That is, being coached by someone is NOT the same as being
coached by anyone. So don't fall into the trap of thinking that
coaching is a commoditized service ... because it's not. Coaches are NOT
interchangeable. Say you needed brain surgery. You wouldn't pick a surgeon
based solely on cost, now, would you? Not that coaching is brain-surgery, but it's certainly
not like buying batteries for a flashlight . (Unless you're a
battery salesperson in which case my apologies for the analogy!)

Why might some coaches charge less?

Maybe they are new (read: inexperienced).

Maybe they are struggling to get new clients (read:
desperate).

Maybe they are part-timers (read: hobbyists).

Maybe they are testing some new methodologies (read:
experimenting).

Or maybe they're offering an absolutely incredible deal
(read: it's possible). It's fine to say, "all things being equal, I buy on
price." But that works only if all things really ARE equal. And
they're not - especially when you're selecting a coach to help you move
meaningfully forward. Now obviously, higher fees don't always mean better
service. But should you find a coach you really like and 'click' with - someone who really
helps you think smarter, feel better, and act sooner - don't let a few
extra dollars (either way) get in your way of getting you from where you are now to
where you want to be.

An Alternative Approach to Selecting the Right
Coach for You

Thomas J. Leonard (1955-2003), CEO of CoachVille.com,
Founder of Coach University, and widely regarded as having been the
Father of Coaching, loved Venn Diagrams. Here's one he created to
help people select the right coach. Take your time reviewing it - it's
got some considerable depth:

Whatever methodology you use to choose your
coach, though - mine, Thomas', or someone else's, for that matter -
choose your coach sooner rather than later. Because as Stevie
"Guitar" Miller sang over and over again, "Time keeps on ticking,
ticking, ticking ... into the future."

Need a little more information about about what life coaching is and how it differs from therapy? Want to learn what makes a certified life coach more able to help than say a
friend or family member? Good for you. Here are some resources to help: